Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who has hemiplegia; a person who is paralyzed on one side of the body.

Usage

• The word "hemiplegic" is a medical term used to describe a person affected by a specific type of paralysis. It functions as a noun to identify the individual with the condition.
• It is important to use this term with sensitivity and clinical accuracy. In modern person-first language, one might say "a person with hemiplegia" to emphasize the individual before the condition, though "hemiplegic" remains the standard medical noun.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The stroke left him a hemiplegic, requiring extensive physical therapy to regain movement on his left side.
  • The rehabilitation center provides specialized care for hemiplegics recovering from brain injuries.

Advanced Usage

• The term is derived from the condition "hemiplegia" (hemi- = half, -plegia = paralysis). While primarily a noun, the related adjective form is also "hemiplegic" (e.g., "hemiplegic paralysis").
• It specifies the lateralization of the paralysis (e.g., right hemiplegic, left hemiplegic), which often correlates with the location of the brain injury (e.g., a left-sided brain lesion typically causes right hemiplegia).

Variants and Related Words

• Hemiplegia (n): The medical condition of paralysis affecting one side of the body.
  • The patient was diagnosed with post-stroke hemiplegia.
• Hemiparesis (n): A related condition involving weakness on one side of the body, as opposed to complete paralysis.
  • She experienced mild left-sided hemiparesis after the incident.

Synonyms

• None that are exact. Descriptive phrases like "a person paralyzed on one side" or "a person with unilateral paralysis" can convey a similar meaning but are not single-word synonyms.

Noun

1. a person who has hemiplegia (is paralyzed on one side of the body)